Holiday Traditions

For *YEARS* I have been trying to sort out OUR holiday traditions, but oftentimes days end up being "business as usual." I really want to do better with our meaningful celebrations or remembrances on these days--revisiting the how and why behind the "holiday" and making the day memorable and tangible for us.

Some I'm struggling with, especially since I can't fully-utilize all the information to be had on the internet (come on broadband!). What I want is at least one meal that ties into the day or geographic area, and at least one activity that is applicable. As an example--for Pioneer Day (I'll link the posts regarding our pioneer studies last fall when I can get online to do so) we plan to campfire cook dinner with recipes that were used on the trails and sing prairie hymns and/or prairie games.

Like many others, we were impacted by 9/11 on a tertiary level. It was my one day to reboot our place from guests that left 9/10 and prepare for guests arriving 9/12. I had the tv on for background while I was in the back folding laundry. The background noise altered and I trotted into the living room just as they switched to live coverage. We know, and have met people more directly involved and impacted.
Our guest not arriving for three weeks (on one of the first few commercial flights since everything was grounded) is nothing, absolutely nothing--families lost friends and loved ones in the Towers, in the planes, in the Pentagon, in the War on Terror....

In my opinion, this is another day that lives in infamy. I want to honor 9/11 and 12/7, but have not figured out how to do so meaningfully--in a way that becomes a family tradition without losing the reverence or the resultant determination. All we have thus far is our flag.